Now that the year is over, it's a good time to look back and see what we learned about this team. Here's what I got:
Roland Acuna is the Venezuelan Trout- We knew Acuna was good but he took it to another level this year. If not for a late season injury he likely would have gone 40-40. He's a true 5 tool phenomenon who will anchor this team for the next decade.
Ozzie Albies is a Superstar- After a rough second half last year there were questions about exactly how good Ozzie would end up being. He put those to rest this year. He's one of the top 3 second basemen in the game and is only 22 years old.
Mike Soroka is a Beast- Soroka looked great before he got hurt last year but shoulder injuries can be hard to come back from. Soroka came back with a vengeance posting a 4 WAR. His FIP and xFIP show he might have been a little lucky but there's also a good chance he's one of those guys who outperforms those stats. Either way, he's a 22 year old anchor of this staff.
Freddie Freeman Wilts Under Pressure- When he was 23 playing on a team with guys like Brian McCann and Justin Upton, Freeman didn't have as much pressure on him in the playoffs. The team wasn't looking to him to put them on his shoulders. Fast forward to 2018 and 2019 and this is Freeman's team. Now, with the pressure on him, he's turned in two straight terrible post season series. In the past two post seasons he's gone 8 for 36 (.222 average) with 2 BBs, 9 Ks, and a .699 OPS. He also committed one of the biggest errors in Braves playoffs history. Freeman is not a guy to look to as the leader of your team in the playoffs.
Adam Duvall Has Something Left in the Tank- Duvall is not a starter and I probably don't even want him in a platoon role. But as a bat off the bench to face a tough lefty, he still has use. He came up with two of the biggest hits of the season in the playoffs and for that I'll tip my hat to him.
Max Fried is an Asset- Fried is kind of the anti-Soroka. While Mike consistently outperformed his FIP, Fried trailed his. To quote Bowman, there's reason to believe Fried could be poised for a big year. He K'd more than a batter an inning, had a BB/9 of 2.55, and had extremely unlucky HR/FB and BABIP. If Fried's luck equalizes, he could be better than Soroka. If he continues to polish his craft and improve, he's got ace potential.
So what did the rest of you learn?
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